THUNDER: Like Gausman, Jones shuts down Trenton

TRENTON — Tony Franklin says he has the patience to wait for the young Thunder hitters he has on his inconsistent offense to find that patience at the plate that can help them avoid losses like the two they suffered to Bowie pitching over the weekend.

Two days after Orioles phenom Kevin Gausman set them down on two hits, Devin Jones did a number on Trenton’s offense on Sunday, spreading five hits over seven innings to start Bowie on the way to a 3-2 win in front of 4,553 at rainy and raw Arm & Hammer Park.

Jones and two relievers kept Trenton to one hit over the final 4 2/3 innings, allowing only a leadoff single by Ali Castillo as they retired 14 of the last 15 Thunder batters.

As they headed off for eight road games starting on Monday — four in Richmond and four next weekend in Bowie — the Thunder didn’t have encouraging news on the Rob Segedin front.

Their leading hitter at .338 with 17 RBI and a .666 slugging percentage, Segedin — out of Old Tappan (Bergen County) and Tulane — is likely heading for season-ending surgery to repair ligament damage. Franklin hasn’t heard definitely what the future holds for Segedin, but knows he could use him now.

“We’re hanging in there, we’re doing OK, but we miss him, there’s no question about it,” said the manager. “We miss his offense because he has maybe a little more experience than the other guys from being here the last couple of years. He can be productive for us. We’re missing him.”

Trenton fell behind 2-0 in the second when Bowie scored with two out off Zach Nuding by combining two singles and a two-run double by Kyle Hudson. Ali Castillo’s two-out single got Trenton a 2-2 tie in the fourth.

After Kyle Roller walked and Slade Heathcott beat out a bunt, Castillo singled to center score Roller and send Heathcott to third. That’s when Castillo got caught between first and second base in a rundown, allowing Heathcott to dash for the plate and beat first baseman Aaron Baker’s throw home.

Bowie got the game-winner — again with two outs — after a single, walk and a bloop single inside the foul line in left by Xavier Avery off reliever Fred Lewis.

“This guy (Jones) was pretty good. When you have a guy that can throw off-speed pitches for strikes and get you to swing at them, along with a pretty good fastball, he can be pretty effective,” Franklin said of the Bowie starter. “He doesn’t walk anybody and was pretty hard to hit off.

“Especially when we don’t have the ability to lay off those pitches that are outside the strike zone. Hopefully by the season’s end we’ll be more accomplished at it.”

Until then, Franklin says he will keep preaching consitency at the plate.

“I’ve got to be extremenly patient, but so do they (players) because they are the ones up there hitting.”